Jack was a young sailor. He lived in England, but he was often away with his ship.
One summer he came back from a long voyage and found new neighbours near his mother's house. They had a pretty daughter, and Jack soon loved her very much.
He said to her, 'My next voyage will begin in a few days' time, Gloria. I love you, and I'll marry you when I come back. I'll think about you all the time, and I'll write to you and send you a present from every port.'
Jack's first port was Freetonw in Africa, and he sent Gloria a parrot from there. It spoke five languages.
When jack's ship reached Australia, there was a letter from Gloria. It said, 'Thank you for the parrot, Jack. It tasted much better than a chicken.'